Starting the year with a splash:

(Disclaimer: I know that I’m about two months late on this post, but life got in the way of blogging a bit. I think that this post is still relevant. Now that my Journ class has to blog I’m will try to blog more often.)

So at midnight on New Year’s Eve I found myself diving into the Bushman’s River fully clothed with a semi-broken foot. Then I was tackled into the water by an attractive, indie boy and both of us ended up landing on a pile of rocks. Needless to say this experience was a first. 

 At first I didn’t jump in with the rest; there were so many things telling me I shouldn’t. It was cold; I was embarrassed and scared and super worried about what other people would say, but after about a minute of watching my sister and my new friends splashing around I ran in too. I forgot my embarrassment and brushed off the judgement.

In his novel “Looking for Alaska” John Green mentions that the poet François Rabelais’ last words were “I got to seek a Great Perhaps.” For Miles Halter, the main character of Green’s novel, those words reflected his desire to experience life fully. I can relate to Miles in that sense and running into the river at the start of the New Year felt like my way of embracing my Great Perhaps. Perhaps 2013 would be different.

2013 is a new year. A fresh start. I know we all as that at the beginning of every year, but this year it feels different. 2012 was a challenging year, but with challenges comes lessons. I already presented you with a few of those lessons, but I learnt a lot more than those few lessons. I learnt a few hard lessons that I realize now I had to learn. I had to make those mistakes last year so that I wouldn’t repeat them again this year.  I’m also now aware that 2013 will not only be about joy, but also about personal growth. 2013 will be about running into the river at midnight, but it will also be about reading 15 plays in two weeks, giving my all in the work that I do, strengthen my relationships with people and about finding out who I am.

So 2013…Surprise me!